Safety latch for hinges



March 24, 1959 w. J. BURKE SAFETY LATCH FOR amass Filed Oct. 29, 1.956

' INVENTOR WILLIAM J. BURKE 'ATTORNEY United States Patent SAFETY LATCH FOR HINGES William J. Burke, Worcester, Mass.

Application October 29, 1956, Serial No. 619,028

2 Claims. (Cl. 16-144) This invention relates to a new and improved safety latch particularly adapted for door hinges, and the principal object of the present invention resides in the provision of a latch for a hinge, for instance for a door, which automatically operates to latch the door in closed condition thereof, whereby in order to open the door, both hands of the operator must be used, one hand to turn the usual door-knob, and the other hand to release the latch at the hinge at the opposite edge of the door.

The present invention is found to be particularly useful in the case of small children who may be able to turn the knob on the door and open the same for access to dangerous areas such as cellar stairs, etc.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a door with the present invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are sections on the respective lines in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but with parts omitted and showing a locking pin for maintaining the latch out of operation; and

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with parts omitted and illustrating the hinge in open condition of the door.

Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown a conventional door 10 having the usual door-knob 12 which may also have associated therewith a conventional lock. The door is provided with hinges 14 and 16, these being completely conventional, and a third hinge 18 to which the present invention is applied.

The hinge 18 is provided with a pintle 20 in the usual manner together with the ferrules 22 by which the respective hinge leaves 24 and 26 are connected together in the usual manner.

The hinge leaf 24 is provided with a sliding latch 28 which is spring-pressed in a direction parallel to the hinge-leaf by a spring 30 mounted in a sleeve or housing 32 on the leaf. The latch 28 is provided with an elongated central member 34 which extends through the rear plate 36 of the housing 32 and exteriorly of the same is provided with a ring 38 by which the latch 28 may be retracted against the action of the spring.

At the opposite end of the latch 28, it is provided with a finger-piece or the like 40 by which it may be pressed inwardly against the action of the spring from the opposite side of the door.

The other hinge leaf 26 is provided with an opening 42 located in position to receive the latch 26 automatically when the door 10 is closed by reason of the fact that a cam nose 44 on the latch 28 causes the latch to snap back against the action of the spring when the two hinge leaves are brought together, and thus the spring leaves will be latched in contacting parallel relation as shown in Fig. 2. In this condition, the door is closed ice and latched and cannot be opened without pulling ring 38 or pushing the finger-piece 40 from the opposite side of the door.

If desired, a pin 46 may 'be inserted in a hole at 48 in the rearwardly extending member 34 of the latch in order to maintain the latch retracted against the spring and thus completely out of action as shown in Fig. 6.

It will be observed that the hinge leaf 24 is mounted upon the jamb 50 in the usual manner but the latch requires a recess or mortice 52 to be made to accommodate the same; and the door requires a small recess or mortice 54 to accommodate the latch nose as shown in Fig. 2.

In the use of the device, when the pin 46 is not in use, the latch automatically operates to latch the door when it is closed; and in order to again open the door, from the side seen in Fig. 1, it is necessary for the operator to place his left hand on the knob 12 and turn it, at the same time pulling upon ring 38 to release the latch. A child ordinarily would not be able to accomplish this, but any adult can easily operate the two parts, i.e., the knob and hinge latch.

If it is desired to open the door from the opposite side, plate 40 is merely pushed by the finger of the left hand of the user while the right hand turns the knob simultaneously to open the door.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not Wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A safety latch hinge comprising a pair of hinge leaves pivotally connected along a pair of their edges, said leaves having coterminous free edges opposite to and parallel to the pivot axis of the leaves, an aperture through one leaf, an open-ended ferrule mounted on the other leaf parallel thereto and transversely thereof, said ferrule being located at the side of its leaf away from the apertured leaf when the leaves are adjacent each other, a slidable element in the ferrule, a spring in the ferrule to urge the element in one direction, a right-angled latch member on the element extending through the side of the ferrule and the ferrule leaf in position to latch with the edge of the aperture when the leaves are adjacent each other, said element extending outwardly of one end of the ferrule past the leaves said free edges, and a thumb piece on the extending end of the element for depressing the same against the action of the spring to release the latch from the edge of the aperture.

2. The safetylatch hinge of claim 1 wherein the slidable element extends out of the ferrule at the other end thereof and includes means at the extending portion of the slidable element for pulling the element to release the latch at the opposite side of the latch from the thumbpiece.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 305,294 Corn Sept. 16, 1884 413,245 Richmond Oct. 22, 1889 1,348,813 Landine Aug. 3, 1920 1,603,409 Rickenbacher Oct. 19, 1926 1,813,145 Cavicchioli et al. July 7, 1931 1,940,099 Preston Dec. 19, 1933 1,950,742 Oliver Mar. 13, 1934 1,994,021 Heller Mar. 12, 1935 2,232,919 Klingborg Feb. 25, 1941 2,341,847 Roethel Feb. 15, 1944 

